Album Notes

“A little harder to encompass is the danger that we can give up on life also by presuming to ‘understand’ it - that is by reducing it as predictable or mechanical.” - Wendell Berry

Much of The Apprentice’s new EP, “Oh the Slavery Comfort Brings”, can be summed up by this simple, yet profound statement spoken by the Kentucky native, Mr. Berry. As humans, composed of body, spirit and soul, we long for excitement, awe and mystery, yet we live in a dark, bitter world that utterly opposes our hunger, our thirst, our dreams. Sometimes it’s all you can do to hold on to the shred of hope you have left. Songs such as “Nyquil Knights” depict the pure distractedness from all things meaningful while songs like “Not Giving In” tap into the fight to hold on to all that is dear and carry on in the face of adversity. “Oh the Slavery Comfort Brings” is a rope, thrown to all who still want to live a life of adventure and passion, throwing off the chains of apathy and the status quo.

The Apprentice is a folk/rock band composed of Eric DeLong, Matt Helfrich and Matthew Jenkins who have been playing together since 2005. Many bands have members come and go, but it is the bond between these bandmates that inspires them to continue playing music together despite living in three different cities spread across Indiana and West Virginia. The Apprentice is not concerned about fame and fortune, but is concerned about making good music with the people they love, something we can all connect with.